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Evacuation of Colorado school Tuesday linked to threats across U.S.

Posted at 11:54 AM, Mar 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-29 14:02:01-04

MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Fake threats prompted thousands of families to pick their children up after 1,400 students were evacuated from Central High School in Mesa County Tuesday. 

Investigation into those threats led authorities to connect the threat — an anonymous voice threatening to be holed up inside the school's grounds with weapons — to others across the nation.

On Wednesday, just a day after the scare, police confirmed similar threats rang out in Kansas City, Missouri, Riverside, California and Atlanta, Georgia.

Police confirm they believe the threats in Kansas City and in Mesa County were made by the same person.

Now officers are on the hunt to confirm the person's identity while they work to connect the rest of the threats. 

Police in Mesa County also revealed new details Wednesday into how they quickly responded to the early morning threats. They say an anonymous phone call made to authorities on Monday night warned of a potential threat at Central High School on Tuesday. 

Extra deputies were stationed at the school, and when the official threat rang out just before 10 a.m., additional police forces swarmed the area. 

Police said students were never in danger, and said they don't believe the caller was even in Colorado. 

"We are confident there is not a credible threat to any of our local schools today or in the near future," police wrote in a release. 

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